Madam Chen Xiaoya (fifth from right), Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology , and HKUST senior leaders.

On 19 August, a delegation led by Madam Chen Xiaoya, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, paid HKUST a visit. In over 90 minutes of presentation at the Council Chamber, HKUST senior leaders beginning with the President Prof Tony F Chan gave the visiting delegation a bird's eye view of the university's history, mission, strategic compass, as well as its latest developments and achievements. Prof Nancy Ip, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, walked our guests through her latest seminal research initiative.

Vice Minister Chen Xiaoya, who listened intently throughout, was generous in her praise of the university. She was particularly impressed by how HKUST has been able to pursue a path that leads from basic to applied research, and from commercialization to entrepreneurship. In both teaching and research we have rightfully emphasized the interdisciplinary and the innovative.